"Fairrin Part 1 ~ Chapters 4-6" by Twyla Bendyna

Chapter Four

Prince Derek looked at the group.  Where were Tic and Dusty?  He saw some dust in the distance, and then could make out Jana coming back from searching The Valley and Erne Beach.

“Jana, did you find them?”

“No, I didn’t, Sire.  No trace at all.”

“Where could they be?  It’s almost mid-day, and we have a lot to cover before sundown.”  He stopped when he saw someone coming from the west exit.  He then saw that it was Wildfire and Jessica:  and they had Dusty and Tic with them.

“Thank The Creator,” Jana whispered.

Derek was about to ask where the two had been, when he saw a deep cut on Jessica’s cheek.  “Princess!  What happened?”  He rushed over to help her off Wildfire, and saw a cut on Wildfire’s right foreleg.  The mare was limping a bit, and laid down when Jessica dismounted.  Lariette rushed over to her and nuzzled her neck.  “Oh, Wildfire!” he murmured.  “You’re hurt!”

“Princess?”  Derek looked questioningly at her.

“We were attacked.  A large sentry.”  She let him lead her to a log, and sat down.  “Four gnomes and six dragons suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and rushed us.  One of the dragons got away, but Tic and I killed the rest of them.”  She waved Derek off.  “Tic’s wound is worse than mine.”

He looked over and saw that Jana was healing Tic’s wound.  Wildfire and Dusty were both being helped, as well.  “Tic and the others are being taken care of, but you’re not.  That’s a bad cut on your cheek.”

“I’ll take care of it.”  Clara walked up and touched her horn to Jessica’s cheek.

Jessica smiled.  “Thank you, Clara.”

“Where did you find them, Princess?”  Derek asked.

“About an hour from The Valley.  They had been near the west exit, and saw a dragon peering in.  They chased, caught, and killed him.  They were on their way back when I found them.  If I hadn’t found them, they’d probably be dead.  You can thank The Creator that we’re not dead, even now.  That sentry took us completely by surprise.  Tic and I were dismounted and walking.  He was telling me what had happened when they attacked.”  She looked up at the Prince.  “I heard one of the gnomes yell at the dragon that escaped to tell the Emperor they’d found some of the revolutionists.  The Outlanders realize something’s up.”

“We’ll have to be more careful, then.”  He looked around.  “Since everyone’s here now, let’s all stay until we leave in one week.”  He waited until the group had quieted some.  “I want no one to leave The Valley at all, day or night, for anything.  We will all stay here until the march in one week.  Understood?”

“Why?”  A young elf spoke up.

“Dusty and Tic saw a dragon looking in The Valley at the west exit.  Luckily, they were able to chase it down and killed it.  Right after Wildfire and the Princess found them, they were attacked by a sentry of ten Outlanders.  It’s too dangerous to be outside The Valley.  Especially since the sentry had been a large one, and one of the dragons escaped.  The Outlanders are suspicious.  Understood?”  Everyone nodded.  “Good!  Now, let’s get on with preparing for the march.

“As we march, we will have sentries.  We will always have a mounted pegasus or unisus in the air, and sixteen elves running before, behind, and to either side of us.  Two will be watching at their posts, and two will be either going to relieve or coming back with information on land layout.  The flyer will be changed every hour.”  He waited to see if anyone had questions.  He continued when no one spoke up.

“As you all know, the march begins in one week.  We will stay three weeks at Council Cave.  Those not in the Army will stay in The Valley or at Birth Cave.  I want everyone to rest up and get ready.  Dismissed.”

Everyone went his or her separate ways in The Valley.  There was quite a bit of tension in the air.  A battle was most definitely looming on the horizon.

~***~

“Sire!”  An injured patroller barged through the gnomes guarding the door and rushed up to the throne.  “Sire!  We --- we ---” he gasped for air with each breath.

“Oren, stop, breath.”  Emperor Erat waited until the dragon seemed to be breathing normal.  “Now -- talk.”

“Sire.  We found three of the revolutionists.”

“Did you kill them?”

“We couldn’t, Sire.  I barely escaped with my own life to tell you.”

“Ten to three, and you lost?”

“Ten to four, Sire.”

“Four?”  Erat looked angrily at the patroller and began to rise.  “I thought you said three...”

“Yes, Sire.  Three revolutionists.”

“Who was the fourth then?”

“A human.”

“A human!  What’s a human doing here?”

“I do not know, Sire.  She was riding a unisus I did not recognize.  I heard it and the others saying Princess Jessica...”

“Princess Jessica?  The Carmanian Princess?”

“I do not know, Sire.”  The dragon seemed confused.  “I recognized the unicorn, though.  His name is Dusty.  He’s Eclipse’s son.  I heard him say Wildfire...”

“That’s the unisus.  It has to be.  This means that it brought the Princess here, and she sided with the Fairrinians.”  He frowned.  “I bet Joshua’s worried sick!  She’s his only child.  I need to capture her, give her a potion to make her forget Fairrin, and send her back to Carmania.  My little cousin doesn’t need to be fighting us.”

~***~

Four weeks later, the Army had made it to Council Cave.  Princess Jessica had noticed something strange happening to Wildfire as the march progressed, and they talked about it.  It looked as though Wildfire might not finish the march on Faerie Castle.  She went to speak to Derek that night.

“Prince Derek?  May I speak to you?”  Jessica walked up to him.

“What is it?”  ‘Why does she have to be so darn pretty?’  He thought angrily.

“I think Wildfire is with foal.”

“What?”  Prince Derek stared at Jessica.  “That’s absurd!”  He looked horrified.

“Derek, she and Lariette have been alone many times, she’s gaining weight, and she’s acting strange.  What explanation do you give?”  She didn’t realize she had used his first name alone.

“I...I don’t...know.”  He sat down.  “It definitely sounds as though she’s with foal.  Have you asked her about it?”

“She’s not sure.”  Jessica shook her head.  “She says she’s never felt this way before.”  She sat down beside him.  “What do we do, send her back to Birth Cave?”

“I ... well, I guess we should.”  He was feeling disconcerted with Jessica so close.  “If Anabelle thinks it is safe enough, she can come back and go to battle with us.  If not, she stays at Birth Cave, and we leave without her.”

Jessica stood up, to Derek’s intense relief.  “I’ll go tell her.  Good night.”  She walked out.

“Good night, Jessica,” he whispered back.  “Sweet dreams.”  He laid down, falling asleep almost instantly.

~***~

“Wildfire, the Prince and I have decided to send you back to Birth Cave.  Your mother can decide whether or not you should fight,” Jessica said the next morning.

“But, Princess!  We’re in this together!”  Wildfire looked horrified at the thought of leaving Jessica.

“No ‘buts’, Wildfire.  If you’re with foal, you have no business out on the battlefield.  You are to go to your mother immediately.  I’ll send Tara with you, so she can come back quickly with word of what’s happening if you stay.”

Wildfire swallowed back her retort.  The Princess was serious.  Tara showed up then, and mounted Wildfire.  They turned to set off; then Wildfire looked back.  Jessica was standing, arms akimbo, waiting for her to leave, so she turned back and mounted the air, on her way to Birth Cave.

“Wildfire, Tara, what are you doing back here?”  Anabelle looked concerned when they landed in the cave a few hours later.  “I thought a battle was coming.”

“Princess Jessica said that she and the Prince decided to send me back to you.”  Wildfire scraped the floor of the cave with her hoof, watching the grove she made deepen.  “They...”

“Is it because you’re a mare?”  Anabelle asked during the pause, astonishment in her voice.

“No, Mother!  They...” she swallowed.  “They think I might be with foal.”

“With foal!”  Anabelle’s eyes were wide.  “How?  Not...” The look on Wildfire’s face told her all.  “You knew a battle was coming, Wildfire!  Why did you let Lariette near you?”

“I don’t know.”  She stopped her scraping and looked at her mother.  “Am I, though?  Do I have to stay here?”  She watched as Anabelle checked her out.

“I’m afraid so, Wildfire.  You’re at least five weeks along.”  She looked at her daughter.  “That’s too far along to chance it.”  She turned and headed back into the cave.  “Come along.  You’d better get comfortable.  You have a long year ahead of you.  Tara, tell them that Wildfire’s due in about five months.  May The Creator protect you on your journey.”

~***~

“Prince Derek?”   Jessica softly walked towards the rock on which Derek was lying.  He was fast asleep.

Jessica watched the Prince for a while.  ‘With him lying there so peacefully, you’d have never known we were about to fight a battle to regain his kingdom,’ she thought.  She cocked her head to one side, and remembered how he had looked the first time she had seen him.  She smiled, recalling how nervous he had seemed, as if he hadn’t really wanted to be there.

“Now I know, Prince.  You didn’t want to be there,” her smile widened.  “You wanted here.  You wanted to be where you belonged.”

All of a sudden, Derek stirred and opened his eyes.  He bolted up, startled at the sight of Jessica.

“Jessica, you gave me a start!  What are you doing, just standing there like that?”

The Princess blinked in surprise when he used her first name alone.  “I -- I came to let you know that Tara’s come back from Birth Cave.”

“What’s Anabelle’s verdict?”  He began to pull on his boots.

“Wildfire is with foal.  She’s due in about five months.”

“Five months?”  He started at Jessica.  “Is this foal going to be half horse?”  He looked horrified.  He was astonished by Jessica’s laughter.

“No!  A unicorn, unisus, or pegasus is only pregnant for six months, not nine.  She’s about one month along.”  Jessica, who’d just found out about this a short while ago, couldn’t seem to stop laughing.

Derek couldn’t believe he’d forget something like that.  ‘I must be more tired than I thought!’ he thought.  “I’m sorry, Jessica.  I can’t believe I’d forget that so easily.  I think I need to get a lot of sleep in the next three and a half weeks.”  He pulled off the one boot he’d gotten on.  “This means you’ll need a mount, doesn’t it?”  He asked, changing subjects abruptly.

“Ye - Yes, I guess it does,” she replied, wondering if he realized that he’d addressed her by her first name twice now.

“Well, I’ll find you one.  ‘Till then,” he said, lying down, “I think I need to get some more sleep.”  He closed his eyes and was out instantly.

“He hasn’t slept much this past month, Princess.”

She started at the soft voice behind her.  “Sage, don’t sneak up on people like that!”  She whispered.  “It’s not good for their health!”  She turned to walk out.  “And I know that he hasn’t gotten much sleep.  You can see it in his eyes.”

“He’ll make it, Princess.  Just let him rest.”

“I know that, Sage.  But we might need a guard, until he’s gotten enough sleep, to keep others from bothering him unless it’s extremely urgent.”

“And who will we send non-urgent messages to?”

“Well, I figure you’ll be the best choice for that.  You know more about Fairrin than most anyone else.”  She shrugged as she spoke.

“I see.”  He looked closely at the Princess.  “I must get going.  I’ll find a guard.”

‘Thank you, Sage.”  She stood on her toes and quickly kissed his cheek.  “You’re such a sweetie.”  She headed down another tunnel.

Sage stared after her, blinking in surprise, and touched the spot she had kissed.  A fellow dragon found him like that a few minutes later.

“Sage?”  He waved his hand in front of Sage’s face.  “Are you OK?”

“Huh?  What?”  He focused in on the dragon before him.  “Oh, Sander.  Yes, I’m all right.”  He was about to walk away when he remembered something.  “Sander!  Wait!  We need some one to guard Prince Derek’s chamber, so he can get some rest.  Don’t let anyone in there unless it’s the Princess, someone bearing urgent news, or me.  All others are to be sent to me.”

“Yes sir, Sage.”  Sander quickly headed for the Prince’s chamber.  “Sage?”  He said, suddenly turning back.

“Yes?”  Sage turned back around and looked at him.

“An air patroller was seen nearby earlier.  Should I tell the Prince?”

“No.  I’ll take care of it.  Tell anyone you see not to venture outside for a few days.”

“Yes sir.”

Chapter Five

Jessica laid down on the floor of her private chamber to think.  It had been five days since she’d spoken to the Prince, five days since word had come from Anabelle that Wildfire would have to stay at Birth Cave...five days since Derek had called her by her first name twice.

What was it about the Prince?  Every time he had made eye contact with her over the past couple of weeks, her breath had caught within her lungs.  Each time he called her name, it felt as though his words were caressing her.  What was wrong with her?

“Jessica?  Are you awake?”

The softly spoken words startled her.  She quickly got up and brushed herself off.  “Yes, I’m awake.  Just thinking, is all.”  She looked up and blushed to find Prince Derek standing at the entrance, looking at her.  “You know, you’ve slept unceasingly for the past five days.  Couldn’t even wake you up to give you important massages.  Sleep all right?”  She smiled teasingly.

“Like a log,” he teased back, smiling in return.  Then the smile disappeared.  “We need to talk, Jessica.”  He walked over and sat down on a large boulder.  “Sit,” he said, patting the space next to him.  She sat.

“Now that I’m awake enough to think properly, you need a new mount, right?”  Jessica nodded.  “I think Amarine will be good for you.  She’s spirited, just like Wildfire,” his eyes flashed with good humor, “just not with foal, or thinking along those lines.”  His eyes met Jessica’s, and he smiled at the soft blush that graced her cheeks.  What was it about her?

“Thank you, Prince,” she said, emphasizing “Prince” slightly as she looked down.

“You’re welcome.”  His voice betrayed some of his confusion at Jessica’s words.  ‘Why did she emphasize “Prince”?’ he wondered.  “Are you still sure you want to fight with us?  You could always go back to your father, you know.  It isn’t your battle.”

“No, Prince, we’re in this together.”

“Your father is probably worried about...”

“Oh, he is.  I know that.  I’m used to it.  I’ve run away before.  I do it every time he tries to force me into marriage, and it puts him off for a little longer before the next attempt.”  She looked sourly at him.  “I’m fourteen, Prince, and I believe that’s too young an age to marry at.  My mother died when I was just a baby, and father hasn’t remarried since.  If he’d marry, he could possibly produce a son.  He’s not too old yet- only forty-three.  He seems interested in your brother’s sister-in-law, Princess Amy, and I wish he’d marry her.  She’s twenty-two and in love with him.  She told me she is.  She’s also young enough to have children.”  She got up and walked towards another rock.

“So, you think you're too young to marry?  My mother was seventeen when she married King Aaron.”

“But, you see, Prince Derek, she was a little older.  At my age, a person doesn’t really know his or her own feelings very well.  That’s what Princess Amy says, and I agree wholeheartedly with her.  It’s why she’s never married yet.”

“My brother married a twelve year old princess, and they have been together for ten years now.  They love each other just as much as they did when they married.”

“Well, Prince Allen and Queen Annette are a rarity.  My father married a twenty-four year old woman, and they loved each other dearly in the single year they had together.  Then I was born, and she died.  They had known each other when they were children, but never thought of love for each other.  To Lady Amarine, he was a prince, and her benefactor.  He’d save her from her home and a hated betrothal, and given her to his mother to be raised as a lady should.  He was twelve at the time, and she was eight.  When she was seventeen, and he was twenty-one, she was taken on a trip abroad with the Queen, to whom she was lady-in-waiting.

“She returned upon the death of the King, seven years later, a grown woman.  When she saw King Joshua, she then fell in love.  He admitted his love for her a short time later, and they were married within months.  Yet, they’d never truly thought of love between themselves at earlier ages.  I say wait.  It’s safer; but even then it sometimes, though rarely, doesn’t work out.”  She got back up and started pacing.

“In a way, Jessica...” He started in surprise at Jessica’s reaction.

“Quit that, would you?” she screamed at him.  “I don’t like it!”  She whirled her back to him.

He stood up and walked over to her.  “Quit what, Jessica?” he asked, confused.

“That!  Calling me Jessica!”  She faced him again.  “I’m a Princess, and would like to be called one.  I thought you’d get the message when I emphasized ‘Prince’ earlier, but I guess...”

“Calm down.  Do you want everyone to know that we’re arguing?  I know I don’t.  No one but you even knows I’m awake yet, for the guard was napping.”  His voice was soft as he spoke.

“I’m sorry Prince, but I just don’t want you to call me anything but Princess or Princess Jessica.  All right?”  Her eyes pleaded with him to say yes.

“All right, Princess, I’ll do that.  At least, I'll try.  It’ll be hard.  I’m used to informalities between most royalties.”

“Thank you for trying.”  She kissed his cheek quickly, turned and walked out.  “I need some time alone to calm down.”  She was gone.

Derek stared after her, and started at the soft voice coming from the entrance behind him.

“She was very worried about you, Prince.”

“Sage!  Don’t scare people like that!”  Derek exclaimed, turning around.  “It isn’t good for their health.”

“The Princess has told me the same thing before.”  Sage sat down.  “I think she’s fallen in love with you, Sire.”

“What?  That’s ridiculous, Sage!  No way!  Besides, she’d have told me.”

“Not if she doesn’t realize it.”

“How could a person not realize that he or she was in love?”

“If they’ve convinced themselves they can’t fall in love, or it’s wrong to...”

“You -- heard us?”  Derek looked stunned.

“Yes.  She’s confused, Prince.  Her mind is telling her one thing, but her heart is saying another.”  He smiled.  “She’s trying to convince herself that her mind is right and that her heart is wrong.”

~***~

“What is wrong with me?  I acted like a little child before the Prince!”  Jessica paced in a clearing a short distance from the cave.  “Why does he bait me like that, any ways?  It’s as though he likes to tease me.”  She stopped pacing abruptly.  “I’m talking to myself.  I must be going crazy.  That’s all there is to it.  I’m going crazy.”

“You’re not going crazy, Princess.”  Jessica jumped, startled by the voice behind her.  “You’re just confused, like a child.”

“Sage.  You scared me half out of my skin.  How many times do I have to tell you not to do that to people before you stop it?”

“Don’t know, Princess.  You’re not the only one to tell me, though.  Prince Derek has told me, too.”

“Now, what did you mean by confused?  That confuses me.”

“Just that you’re still a child in many ways; and that, just like a child, you’re confused.”  He sat down on a log.  “And as for why Prince Derek teases and baits you, I think I know why.”

“You heard me?”

“Yes.  I also heard you two arguing.  I’ve talked to the Prince, so now I’ll talk to you.”  He looked at Jessica.  “The Prince is trying to convince himself otherwise, but he’s falling in love with you.”

“What?  Sage, that’s absurd!  I’m a human.  Humans are usually the enemies!  No way is he falling in love with me.  No way.”  She shook her head, as if to emphasize her words.

“Do you think he’d tell you if he were?”

Jessica sat down next to Sage.  “Well, no, of course not.  He’d be silly if he did.  He knows how I feel about love.  Besides that, if he’s anything like me, and I believe he is, he wouldn’t tell anyone.  I’d have never said I was falling in love with him, even if I was.  I couldn’t do that.”

“I see.”

“Thank you for understanding, Sage.  I’m going for a walk to calm down my nerves.  See you when I get back.”

“Be careful, Princess.”

“I will.”

~***~

She stood up and dusted off a few hours later.  It was well past the mid-day meal, she was sure.  She looked at the sky, searching for the sun, and found it halfway down the tree line.  It was almost sundown!

“Goodness, I must have fallen asleep.  Prince Derek will be scared stiff!”"  She turned around to rush back to the cave, but never got a step.

“Prince Derek?”  The man stepped into the light, chuckling.  “My, Jessica; didn’t know you knew him.  Quite a surprise.”

“Cousin Rato?  What are you doing here?”  Jessica stared at him.

“I live here, Jessica.”  He swept his arms about.  “This is my home.”

“But, you said you’d regained your father’s...”

“I did.  One of my father’s ancestors ruled this land until his death.  The inhabitants rebelled and took over, driving the Allercousts out of the land.”  He smiled.

“You’re lying."  Jessica looked at her short cousin in astonishment.  “I know that’s a lie.”  She backed away.  “You don’t live here.  The gnomes and their emperor, Erat...YOU!”  She gasped.  “You’re Erat!  Eratomus!”

His smile turned wicked.  “At your service, Princess.  Too bad you’re too smart for your own good.”  He motioned a hand.  “Grab her!”

She turned to run, only to find herself confronted with a sword.  “Remember, don’t hurt her,” her cousin ordered his dragons.  “I want her in one piece.”  She backed away with a gasp, turned, and saw her cousin lift a heavy stick over his head.  She screamed as the stick swung towards her head.  Suddenly, the world went black before her eyes, and she began to fall, unable to stop herself.

~***~

“Prince Derek!  Your Highness!”  Sage and two other dragons rushed out after him.  “Where...”

“That was Jessica!  I heard her screaming; I know I did!”  He drew his sword as he neared the woods and slowed down.  The others did the same.

“Sire, are you sure you heard a scream?  We didn’t,” Sage motioned at the other two.

Prince Derek motioned them to be quiet, and then slowly moved into the woods.  Sage’s companions exchanged incredulous looks with him.  Then Sage heard what Derek had: voices.

“Sire, what will you do with her?  That fairy will be looking for her--”

“Hush!  Do you want them find us out sooner?  Let’s get going now that the evidence is cleared away.”  The voice faded as the speaker move away.  Prince Derek slipped back out of the forest with a grim look on his face.

“Jessica was already gone.  That was Erat in that clearing, Sage.  They bashed Jessica over the head and dragged her off, it seems.  Sage, it sounds as if Erat know Jessica, although I can’t see how he could.  Any ideas?”

“Are you sure it was Princess Jess-...”

“Yes, Sage!  I heard them say her name!  Let’s get back before a patrol finds us.”  He turned and stalked back to the cave.

“You know, Grandpa, with the way the Prince acts, you would think he was in love with her or something,” Carmen, one of the dragons that had rushed out with Sage and Derek, whispered to Sage.

“He is, Carmen.  He just doesn’t know it.  He won’t let himself see it.  But shush on the subject for now, all right?”

“Of course, Grandpa.”  Carmen watched Derek walk away, and sighed.  ‘I wish Toren had liked me as the Prince likes the human.  Oh, how I miss him!’  She thought to herself.

“And don’t even think about Toren, Carmen!  That renegade is a traitor who should have no place in any loyal Fairrinians thoughts.  He ran off ninety-six years ago to join the Outlanders, and don’t you forget that!”  Sage turned and walked away from his astonished granddaughter.

“How did he know I was thinking about Toren?”  She mumbled to herself.  “I didn’t say his name out loud.”  She walked back into the cave as Derek called those present around him.

“The Outlanders have captured Prince Jessica.  Only The Creator knows what they intend to do to her.  We have to be more careful from now on.  No one may leave the cave alone.  There has to be at least three in a group.  We can’t have anyone else captured.  Understood?”  Everyone nodded.  “Good.  Spread the word along.  Dismissed.”  He turned and walked to his chamber.

Chapter Six

“Toren?”  The word echoed off the cave’s walls.  “Toren!  Where are you?”

“Right here, Sire.”  A dragon walked out of the shadows, eyes downcast.  “What do you need?”

“I have an assignment for you, Toren.”  Erat walked further into the cavern.  “Do you remember my showing you my cousin’s kingdom, Carmania?”

“Yes, Sire.”  The dragon kept his eyes on his feet while the emperor spoke.

“Do you think you could find your way back there?”

“Yes, Sire.”

“Good.  I need you to go there.”

“Sire?”  The dragon glanced up at this, curiosity in his eyes.

“My cousin’s daughter, Jessica, has shown up."

“What’s she doing in Fairrin?”  His eyes went wide with shock.

“She has a notion of helping the Fairrinians, I think.  Prince Derek has returned, as well.”  He looked behind him and motioned to someone outside.  “I want you to take Jessica back to her father.  She’s the only child he has, Toren.  Because of your rebelliousness and your soft spot for humans, I know I can trust you to take her safely to Carmania.  If you’re caught by a human and killed, it will clear my hands of having to do it.  If you return safely to this land, I’ll have you executed for the rebel you are.  Understood?”

“Yes, Sire.”  He looked up and saw a dragon standing behind Erat, holding a black-haired human girl.  “She’s just a child!”  He stared.

“That’s right.  I love my young cousin, Toren, and that’s why I’m sending her home.  I’m not totally cold-hearted.  I’ve given her a potion that should make her forget about all she did and heard in Fairrin.  Goodbye.”  He walked out.  The other dragon laid Jessica on the floor of the cavern and walked out, as well.

“Poor child.  I’ll get you to your father, don’t you worry.”  He bent, picked her up, and flew off into the early morning light.  First, he had to find Dalan.  He knew Dalan could help.

~***~

“Come on, Dalan!  They’ve given up.  Why can’t you?”

“Because, I just know she’s alive, and she’s King Joshua’s only child.  Besides that, she might have wandered unknowingly into DragonWood, and humans would never dare...What was that noise?”  Dalan pulled his mount, Lora, up short.

Lora listened closely.  “Don’t know, but it sounds like whatever it is, it's carrying a load.”  She turned her head to look at the armored knight on her back.  “Should we investigate?”

“I think so, but go quietly.  I don’t like the feelings I’m getting from the wildlife.  They’re acting too scared.”  Then they heard their quarry speak:

“You sure are heavy!  Didn’t know something so small could weigh as much as you do.  I sure hope I can find Dalan soon.”  They heard an “oomph” and a plop accompanying the words.

“Lora, I think that’s Toren.”

“So do I.  I wonder what he’s carrying?”

“Let’s find out.”  They moved into the clearing.  “What do you need me for, Toren --Good grief!  Is that a human?”

“Dalan!  Thank The Creator I found you!”  Toren jumped up and rushed over to Dalan and Lora.

“More like we found you, Toren, but you didn’t answer Dalan’s question.”  Lora glowered at Toren.  “Is that a human?”

“More than that, Lora.  She’s a human Princess from Carmania.  I…”

“Carmania!”  Dalan looked horrified.  “You didn’t hurt her, did you?”  He dismounted and ran to the girl.

“No.  The cut on her head is Erat’s handiwork.  He knocked her out so I could take her back to Carmania and her father, and he gave her a potion to make her forget about Fairrin.  Erat invaded, you know, and killed the royal family.”

“No, I didn’t know!  Is Prince Derek dead, as well?”

“No, he’d been visiting his brother, and returned after the invasion.  It took a year, but the Outlanders finally won.  They’re stronger than ever, Dalan, and Erat found out my secret.  If I’m not killed by a human, I’ll be killed upon my return.  I’ve been under guard for ten years now.  Ten years!”  He looked down at Jessica.  “Now is my chance to escape, Dalan.  They won’t follow me.  They know my soft spot for humans.  I need to get Princess Jessica back to her father.  Think you could take her?  If a human saw me, I’d be dead in an instant!”

“I’ll take the child, Toren.  You find Prince Derek and tell him I’m coming home to help.  I’ve been looking for Princess Jessica for months now, and I’ll take her back...” He cut off as Jessica gave a small moan.  He whispered, “back to her father.  It’s best she doesn’t remember anything of Fairrin, so you’d better hide.”  Toren hid in the forest, and Dalan turned back to Jessica.

She moaned again and her eyes fluttered open, focusing on Dalan’s face.  Her eyes narrowed.  “Silver Knight?  What are you doing here?”  She pushed herself into a sitting position and looked about.  Her eyes widened.  “Where am I?  Where’s Cousin Rato?”

Dalan looked at her in confusion.  “Who’s Rato, Princess?”

“My father’s cousin.  He knocked me out.  Are you his friend?”  She scrambled to her feet, eyes wide with fear, and backed up.

Now Dalan was truly confused.  Why was she scared of her cousin; why would he knock her out?  Also, where did he fit into all this?  “Princess, you must have had a nightmare.  I found you lying here.  I don’t know where your horse is, but...” He cut off as Jessica spoke.

“Oh, Wildfire’s with her mother.  Lariette got her pregnant...  You wouldn’t even know who Lariette is.  He is a very handsome stallion we met up with while I was gone.  She’s at...  Oh, my!  I have to get back!  He’ll be so worried!”

‘How does she know Lariette, and why would he get a horse pregnant?’  Dalan was now thoroughly confused.  “I’m taking you to him right now, Princess.  Your father is worried.”

“Not my father!  Prince Derek.  Besides that, I can’t go back.  I promised Derek I’d help him regain his kingdom from Erat...  Oh, you wouldn’t know, would you?  Of course not,” she said before he could answer her.  “You’re a human, like me.  How could you know?”

Dalan stared at her open-mouthed.  The potion didn’t work.  She remembered everything.  “But, Princess, I do know.  I knew Prince Derek when we were both children learning to be knights.  He and I were knighted just before I went to the Human Territories.”

“You’re a fairy?  Where are your wings?”

“We’re in DragonWood, Princess, on the human side.  Fairies look like regular humans when in Human Territory.”

“Yes, I know that.  I didn’t know where...Why are we in Human Territory?”  She looked horrified.

“I’m taking you back to...”

“No,”  She exclaimed, jumping up and cutting him off.  “I can’t.  I have to help Prince Derek.”

“Princess, a battle zone is not the...”

“Place for a princess, yes, I know.  But it is the place for a prince, and I have the battle training of a prince.”

“Your father is...”

“Worried?  He always is.  Nevertheless, I won’t let Erat keep these lands.  He may be my cousin...”

“Your cousin!”  It was Dalan’s turn to look horrified.  “Your cousin is Erat?  I thought you said Rato!”

“I did.  My father and I call him Rato, but Fairrinians know him as Erat.  His full name is Eratomus Allercoust.”  She dusted herself off.  “I really need to get back.  Prince Derek will be worried sick.  I don’t even know how long it’s been since Rato knocked me out.”

Toren stepped out of the woods.  “About three days now, Princess.  Erat brought you to me yesterday morning, so he must have found you the day before.”

Jessica stood firm and asked, “Are you an Outlander?”

“Yes and no.  I was born in Fairrin, but I joined the Outlanders to infiltrate them when I was fifty-two.  It worked until about ten years ago.  They found out, and began to keep me under tight guard.  My name is Toren, by the way.”

“When I was knighted, I left Fairrin to try to find Toren.  My father was his last contact, and when Toren stopped reporting to him, I decided to look for him as soon as I was knighted.”

“I see.  And did you before now?”

“Yes, about five years ago.  He’d escaped somehow.  He was recaptured shortly afterwards, and I hadn’t seen him again until today."

“Then why were you in the Human Territories?”

“Because I liked it there.  It’s challenging, and my knighthood skills have been strengthened through my experiences.  My dad is wrong in his belief -- humans are not evil, they’re just misunderstood by us, and they misunderstand us.  Most humans have actually forgotten about Fairrin.  I bet if a fairy or dragon made an overture of friendship to a human, we could all be friends again, and there’d be no more killing.  I can’t see anything but bad come from killing The Creator’s ‘Adam’s race’, any ways.  Nothing but bad.”

“ ‘Adam’s race’?  What does that mean?”  Jessica looked at Dalan in confusion.

“Humans.  They are all descended from Adam, the first man.  Some of us call them ‘Adam’s’ race, in reverence to The Creator’s divine placement of humans.”

“Oh.  Now, will you please take me back to Council Cave?  Like I said, Prince Derek is probably worried sick.”  She looked around, and then headed north.

‘Now, how did she know which direction to head in?’  Dalan thought to himself, exchanging glances with Toren and Lora.

Jessica glanced back, saying, “This is the right direction, I hope?”

“Yes, it is.”  Dalan mounted Lora and the three Fairrinians escorted Jessica back into Fairrin.

~***~

“Prince Derek?”"  Lariette waited for Derek to respond.

“Yes?”  Derek looked up from a sketched layout of Faerie Castle and its immediate surroundings.  “What is it?”  He snapped out the words.

“You miss the Princess, don’t you?  You’ve been snappy since her capture.”  Lariette spoke softly, stung by the tone of Derek’s voice.

“I’m sorry, Lariette.”  He rubbed his head as if he had a migraine.  “Don’t know what’s come over me.  What do you need?”  His eyes were sad.

“I was wondering if we should send a message to Wildfire about the Princess.  It’s been three days now.  Tara could get there and back in a couple of days, couldn’t she?”

“I suppose so.  Tell her to go tell Wildfire about the Princess.  She’ll find out sooner or later, any ways.”

“Thanks.”  Lariette turned and walked out.

“I’m so sorry, Jessica.  If we hadn’t argued, you’d have never gone out there and been captured.”  He tried to focus on the sketch before him, but failed.  Tears kept blurring his vision.  He stood up and began to pace.  ‘Only twenty-one days left until the march begins,’ he thought with worry.

‘They might use her as a pawn!’  The thought suddenly sprang to his head, stopping him in mid-stride.  ‘They might try to use her to their advantage!’  “We have to think of a way to rescue her,” he muttered to himself, walking out and still deep in thought.

He had the Army was gathered together within minutes.  Tara was already on her way to Birth Cave with the news about Jessica.

“I have been thinking about the Princess’ abduction, and realized that the Outlanders might try to use her as a pawn or somehow to their advantage.  We have to think of a way to rescue her, or to squelch any attempt on their part to use her to their advantage.  Be thinking, and come to me if you have any ideas.”  They all nodded.  “Good.  Dismissed.”  He turned and headed back to his chamber.  Lariette followed him.

“Prince?”

“Yes, Lariette?”  Derek sat down.

“It’s not your fault she was captured, Sire.  She should have been more careful, and not stay out so long.  It’s more her fault than anyone else’s, I’d...”

“Quiet,”  Derek yelled at his mount.  “You don’t understand what happened!”  Lariette’s shocked, hurt look calmed Derek down some.  “I’m sorry, Lariette, I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.  However, you don’t know what happened that day.  She was angry, confused; mad at me, in fact.  We’d had an argument that morning, and she went for a walk to calm down.  If I hadn’t done what I did to make her so angry, she wouldn’t have even left the cave.  Therefore, it is my fault.”  He looked at Lariette sadly.  “I need some time alone, Lariette.  See you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Prince.”  Lariette walked out as Derek blew out his torch.